Byeon, Do Hwa (Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, Catholic Sangji college) Purpose: The aim of this study is to identify the expectations and perceptions of health center users as to the services. SERVQUAL scale was used for measurement of service quality. The purpose of this study is to offer baseline data for improving the quality of health care services. Methods: The subjects were users of a health center in S City in Kangwon-do; 170 people participated in this study. Results:

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... ing service quality depending on general characteristics, the following results were obtained. First, there were statistically significant differences depending on the gender, purpose of visit, and satisfaction in the health center. Second, the services fell short of the expectations. Third, the quality of 'safe, accurate services' scored the highest, while 'empathy and friendliness' scored the lowest. Fourth, 'internal, external environment of the health center' scored the highest, while 'courtesy of staff' scored the lowest. There were no statistically significant differences. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the following are suggested. First, employee education should be provided for development of empathy and interaction with patients; those are the weakest areas in the health care services. Second, a system allowing patients to understand and participate in their treatment should be developed.